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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Fire Damages Longhorn Smoke Room

A fire caused extensive damage to the smoke room of a Spokane Valley meat packaging plant Wednesday afternoon.

The blaze started in a metal-sided addition on the west side of the Longhorn Barbecue Production and Purchasing Center, 10420 E. Montgomery, said Larry Herberholz, Valley Fire division chief.

It chased 17 employees from the building. No one was injured.

Thirty-five firefighters from 10 trucks battled the blaze for more than an hour, Herberholz said. They were able to keep flames from spreading outside the 1,600 square-foot smoke room.

A cause was not known late Wednesday.

An employee discovered the fire about 2:35 p.m. Plant manager Gene Eickerman said employees completed a routine inspection of the smoke room minutes before the fire started and did not notice anything unusual.

Longhorn officials were trying to assess their losses late Wednesday. Sale manager Jeff Eickerman said it appeared all of the facility’s five smokers were damaged or destroyed.

Several pallets of barbecue ribs stored in the building will have to be inspected by health department officials.

The fire did not disrupt business at any of the Longhorn restaurants.

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